Hi
Don’t know what it’s called but there is some hideous invasive vine taking over here, It has leaves a bit similar to maple leaves so no doubt you will be able to tell me what it is. I have a small acreage and It will kill trees if I don’t cut it off but it’s a pain in the neck. Also I have a lot of wire fence which I have to watch as it is old and collapses when the vines get too heavy but ground cover is a loosing battle and it just takes over and kills everything else. Pulling it up is not easy I have been trying to do so for some time but have lost the battle and now there is waaaay too much of it for that.
This stuff is increasingly growing along the highway here which is where it has come from onto my property.
Please advise
Thank you
The vine you have described could be English Ivy, Hedera helix. It is planted as a decorative plant to cover buildings and as a ground cover but has become invasive in parts of Ontario. The characteristics that make it popular for covering buildings and empty ground also make it easy to invade other locations. It grows quickly in sun or shade and can completely cover a tree, blocking the sunlight and eventually killing the tree. Removing it is labour intensive.
- If it is in a small area, you can smother it by covering it with black plastic or rubber or a 12″ layer of wood chips but this covering must be left in place for a year to be effective.
- English Ivy has shallow roots so can be cut off at the root and the roots fairly easily dug out. However, any segments of root or stem that remain will likely regrow so you will have to dig these out as well. Cut the lower vines growing up the tree and remove the roots. Pulling the vines down may damage the tree by removing bits of bark that the leaves are clinging on to. The best time to do this is when the soil is moist so it is easier to remove the roots. You can check the following web sites to positively identify the vine.
https://bcinvasives.ca/invasive-species/identify/invasive-plants/english-ivy